


Wipe the Tears off my Face

by HammCheddr



Series: Orphans [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - Orphanage, Bullying, Fluff, M/M, Naruto being a pure boy, Orphanage, Slow Burn, kids being assholes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:00:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26271526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HammCheddr/pseuds/HammCheddr
Summary: After his family is viciously murdered, Sasuke is forced to be admitted into an orphanage.Alone and without friends, he is subject to abuse from some of the older kids who take advantage of his vulnerability.Enter Naruto, a kind, overly enthusiastic blonde freak that Sasuke can't help but love.
Relationships: Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Series: Orphans [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1908745
Comments: 8
Kudos: 34





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I'm back from the dead. 
> 
> Holy shit it's been years since I've written a fic, lets just say I got a little carried away with the first chapter. 6000+ words is quite a bit for me to write, but if y'all r okay with being patient I will absolutely continue with the longer chapters!
> 
> Of course I had to contribute to the iconic Naruto fandom. I've had a sudden obsession with anime bloom during quarantine, so I had to write a fic obviously. 
> 
> This isn't going to be too long, as I want to make it a two part series. The second series will feature a time skip, so be ready for that y'all!! 
> 
> Also, read the warnings before hand. This is a pretty dark fic in the beginning, but I promise it gets much happier. 
> 
> Sasuke is 11 and Naruto is around 13. Yes, I know in the anime Sasuke is a few months older, but I do what I want.
> 
> WARNINGS: Rape, Underage, Abuse

Sasuke knew that there wouldn’t be a day where he woke up and didn’t remember the stench of blood. The coppery scent tinged with rot from decaying corpses, the almost sweet but musky scent that made your nostrils tingle. Yeah, he would never forget that. 

In fact, the smell was so fresh in his mind that he couldn’t even glance at a piece of red meat without gagging. Let alone get a whiff of it. He’d actually thrown up the first time a steak had been set on his plate after that night. The only way he’d be able to tolerate it was if the meat had been cooked enough so it was borderline charcoal, and not many people were willing to go that far for him. Well nobody was, to be completely honest.

Ever since that night, the night he watched helplessly as his only family was slaughtered before his eyes, he’d been alone. After his brother had looked to him in panic and screamed run, he had been in a constant state of solitude. Something he certainly wasn’t used to. His whole life his mother babied him, her eyes full of achingly raw love. His father who held up a stone cold facade but behind closed doors talked relentlessly about his youngest son and pushed his Sasuke’s school work to its limits. And his brother, his only friend, who had sacrificed his own life for his younger brother had always had his back growing up. Itachi’s eyes had always been full of protectiveness and strength, but now all Sasuke could see was fear and desperation whenever he thought of Itachi.

He hadn’t wanted to leave them, but the scream of his brother had jolted him enough his wobbly legs that were about to give out any second burst into an all out sprint away as his brother distracted the men enough for his sad excuse of a brother to get away. 

And get away he did. Sasuke had run past the point of exhaustion, out the door and into the crowd of the city. It was dark, raining, and cold. And Sasuke hadn’t thought to bring a coat or money or food. How naive he had been. It was only inevitable that he’d pass out at the entrance of a random alley way. He was so stupid. So foolish, as Itachi would say. 

He wasn’t sure when he regained consciousness. And by consciousness, he didn’t mean waking up. For a few days, he had no recollection of what was happening around him, just went through the motions. He heard voices, but he couldn’t really hear them. They were soft murmurs in the back of his mind. A few people touched him, and normally he would jerk out of their grasp and fix them with the coldest stare he could muster, but he barely even noticed the firm grip someone had on his shoulders or the way he was being shaken like they were trying to wake him up. Someone was in his face, saying something, possibly yelling at him. But no matter how loud they were, he just couldn’t seem to comprehend their words. All he could do was stare at the ground, blocking out everything around him.

When he finally regained feeling of his body and conscience, he was in a bed. A small one for that matter. This bed, he noticed, was surrounded by multiple other small beds of the same size, each with different covers and blankets and pillow cases. A duffle bag he recognized from his own room was on the floor by the bed, next to it a few pairs of his shoes. He could hear the muffled sounds of children laughing and screaming somewhere outside of the room he occupied, and it smelled like dust and baby powder.

Where the hell am I?

Much too slowly for his liking, Sasuke sat up, his hand shooting up to grip his head at the immediate migraine that greeted him. He groaned in pain at the headache, and conveniently his empty stomach made itself known. God, he felt like shit.

He explored the place, looked out the window, and concluded he was definitely in some sort of orphanage. He shuffled into what looked like a cafeteria and sat at a random table, not noticing the shocked glances he received from the older women that were present in the room. For a while, he did nothing. Stared at the wooden table that was extremely fascinating at the moment, eyelids drifting shut, until a bowl of steaming soup invaded his eyesight, the steam snapping him awake. 

He didn’t do anything. Didn’t say a word, just picked up the spoon that felt way too heavy in his hand and began eating. The soup was too hot to taste anything, but Sasuke found that he didn’t really care. He just continued eating as his tongue burned and his eyes watered. He finished the sizable chunk of bread next to the bowl, sat, then was greeted with another serving. 

After two more bowls and three more pieces of bread, he crept into the bed that his duffle bag was next to, falling asleep to lifeless eyes and panicked screams.

*

Sasuke never talked, never voiced anything anymore, but he thought. His mouth would open a fraction as if to say something, but everytime his mind would flashback to when he burst into tears and screamed in terror at the sight of his parents’ pale, lifeless bodies. 

Right now, he was thinking about how shitty everything was. How shitty this place was. The kids were too loud, too excited. Too naive. They screamed and squawked right in Sasuke’s ear. They pinched and poked at his shoulder. He made no move to show that he even noticed them beside him. Most would huff and give up at his lack of reaction, a select few would continue to tease him to the point where he’d be close to tears. And as much as he hated it, he couldn’t see the point of telling them off the way he would have before that night. He didn’t see the reason to. He found that he couldn’t find a reason to do a lot of things lately. 

Sasuke sat at the same spot he did when he first arrived here. People knew not to sit there. Words traveled fast, about the new kid that hadn’t said a single word since he arrived. The boy who immediately ate the soup that gave kids burns bad enough that their tongues would start bleeding. The kid that could eat piece after piece of the slightly stale baguette bread they were served. The children were only allowed up to two servings of food, but the orphanage’s inhabitants had simply accepted Sasuke as an exception to this rule and moved on. It wouldn’t be too far off to say that the usual group of kids that sat at the table with Sasuke actually enjoyed his company, enjoyed his strange quirks. Particularly, a blonde that was probably around the same age as Sasuke, if not a little older. He always sat next to him. But unlike the brunette chick to his right whose leg constantly bumped into Sasuke’s and whose uncombed hair never ceased to tickle his ear, the blonde kid never once made physical contact with him. He never tried to talk to him, never even attempted to make direct eye contact to engage in conversation the way the other children did. Sasuke interpreted it as the kid wanted no parts of him, much like how most of the kids he blew off acted. 

Unfortunately, his lack of emotion had gained him some unwanted attention. A couple of boys whose ages were unknown but were undoubtedly a few years older than Sasuke based on their heights, would pester and mock the poor boy. The tallest, the leader, Sasuke thought, was the instigator. Sasuke believed that had it not been for him the boys wouldn’t have even thought to bother him. But life was cruel like that. 

He had been at his usual table, only on his second piece of bread, when the four fools crept up behind him. Usually, their teases were quick. A snarky remark in the hallway, a jab to his side by the sinks, or every once in a while a tug to his raven hair. But never in public in front of others. Sasuke's eyes just barely glanced around him, and noticed the older women who proctored the cafeteria were nowhere in sight, probably in the kitchen serving kids or cleaning up. 

“Get lost,” the leader snapped to the table. Like a flock of birds, they all scattered in different directions. Clearly, these boys had a reputation. The blonde beside him was the only one who remotely hesitated, glancing at the quartet then back at Sasuke. But in the end,like the rest of them, he left and followed the others to a different table. Sasuke, being chosenly ignorant, stayed where he sat and bit into his bread. 

“I think you had enough,” The second fool said, and snatched the bread, leaving Sasuke’s fingers momentarily twitching and gripping at air, but otherwise didn’t react. He began to stand up in hopes of getting another chunk of baguette, but was stopped by firm hands pushing down on his bony shoulders. 

“Stay” the leader hissed, while fool 3 picked up his bowl of mostly uneaten soup. He stayed silent. With his ass on the seat, Sasuke sat and stared at nothing. He felt warmth at the top of his head, and then he felt his flesh sear at the still scorching hot soup that dripped down his scalp, down his forehead and into his eyes. He flinched, mouth opening to form a silent wail, and rubbed at his face desperately. He felt tears mixing with the broth, and he squirmed at the feeling of chunks of chicken and mixed vegetables sliding down his head and slipping beneath his shirt, leaving his skin red and irritated in its wake. He gasped and twitched, clawing at his head and face and his hair. He heard laughing, which was much too loud for it to be just from the quartet of idiots.

Against his will he looked around through the tears and broth in his eyes. He saw the children who once were accepting and understanding to his emotionless front sneer and gawk and laugh. His face burnt both literally and from embarrassment. He was humiliated, and just as the workers came back from the kitchen to find out what the source of commotion was, Sasuke was running away, tears and snot and broth and god knows what else running down his face.

He didn’t get much sleep that night. Giggles and poorly hid laughs from the kids in his bunk had him jolting awake in the middle of the night. 

*

Things only escalated from there. Although the four fools were lectured and yelled at and punished, they made it their personal goal to get as much of a reaction out of Sasuke as possible. 

Public humiliation was not an option for them anymore, which was both good and bad for Sasuke. They were forced to stop after the first time, the elders ripped into them and at least one of them was always in the cafeteria at all times. Which was good, because Sasuke was glad to go back to sitting at his usual table with the annoying brunette girl and the blonde kid who always seemed to be looking at him while he ate. 

It was bad, however, because everything they did to Sasuke was in private, away from snitching eyes. They’d pull him aside into an empty broom closet or class room, drag him inside an unoccupied handicap stall, or gang up on him in his bunk during one of his many daily naps. 

Sometimes Sasuke thinks he would actually prefer the public humiliation from these four on one sessions. The problem with having no one around was that they had no reason to hold back on their teasing. Nobody could judge them or tell them to stop. 

At first, it was the usual small pokes and tugs. But as days turned to weeks, the pinches turned to punches and the marks they left would darken and bruise quicker and quicker. 

Today was no exception.

“Come on loser, fight back!” Fool 4 hissed and he landed a rather harsh punch to sasukes left arm. “What, don’t have feelings or something? Think you’re too cool?” a push to his chest caused Sasuke to fall on his ass. He rolled over in a fetal position to protect his stomach that usually took the most damage when he was at their feet.

“God, he’s so fucking weird. He’s not even making any noise.” The leader chortled, grabbing a fist full of his spiky hair with a grip tight enough to pull out a few strands and slammed the side of his head onto the cold tile of the bathroom floor. Sasuke could already feel a black eye blooming. “He’s probably quiet ‘cause he likes it and doesn’t want us to stop,” Sasuke felt his mouth drop open when one of the fools, probably fool 3, brought a heel down on his hand that was splayed against the floor. “What are you, freak? Queer or something?” 

The other three barked in laughter, contact coming even quicker to Sasuke, to the point where he couldn’t even tell where the punches were coming from. All he felt was pain. 

It happened often, their ‘sessions’. Not everyday however, the four would undoubtedly get caught if Sasuke sported a bruised cheek 24/7, but they did it enough that Sasuke was terrified of going anywhere alone, which was unfortunate because he was always alone. But his emotionless demeanor stayed the same. He didn’t voice any of the pain he went through, much to the bullies' displeasure, Sasuke’s silence only fueled their need to get a reaction out of him. 

Less kids sat at his table now. The snotty brunette moved which Sasuke was thankful for, but the creepy blonde that watched him eat his bread was ever present. Sasuke admittedly didn’t mind his company all that much though. 

They fell into a routine, of sorts. Sasuke would sleep until his stomach protested to the point of unbearability, then he’d shuffle his way into the cafeteria, eat an illegal amount of carbs then go wherever the largest group of kids were and sit close enough not to be totally isolated, but far enough that the kids didn’t think Sasuke was actually trying to get involved in whatever pointless activity they were doing. He’d nap or just stare blankly ahead of him, until dinner time rolled around and he’d eat more bread and soup if they were serving it.

He was about to take his first bite of bread when his fingers suddenly went empty and he got a bite full of air. Confused, he opened his eyes and saw his tray of food was gone, and the fools were back. Luckily they had enough sense not to pour his soup on his head again and risk being severely punished a second time, but they took his tray. The only thing Sasuke had to communicate with the proctors that he wanted more food. His eyes widened fractionally in distress, knowing he’d go to bed hungry. Despite the amount of bread he consumed on a daily basis, his 11 year old metabolism was working on overdrive. Bread was doing little to satisfy his pangs of hunger, but was just enough to get him by. 

He almost whined, instead made a soft noise in the back of his throat that sounded more like a pained grunt, but didn’t move. Didn’t risk being humiliated the way he had been that day. The overwhelming sounds of laughter that emitted from the kids’ mouths reminded him too much of the pained chokes and screams of his parents.

He didn’t react beyond that single pathetic noise he had made, and instead stared straight ahead, felt a fool open the back of his shirt the tiniest bit and pour maybe a tablespoon of the soup down his back, making Sasuke jolt and jerk at the feeling. Tears built, but they didn’t fall, and he hung his head in defeat as the boys walked away laughing wickedly, carrying his tray. There was an awkward silence amongst the table now. Kids began getting up, finding new places to sit. Clearly not wanting to get involved with the gang of fools. Sasuke didn’t blame them. 

He sat and gazed at the table in disinterest as one by one, the children left him alone, until it was just him and the blonde freak. He sat, waiting for him to inevitably walk away with his tray and find somewhere else to sit, and when he did, Sasuke could really feel his eyes burning the way they had when the scorching soup poured into them that horrible day. 

Once again, he was alone. People never hesitated to leave him, it seemed. Perhaps he was just that unlikable. Surely now the bullies would harass him with full force without any barriers to keep them from going too far. There was no one who cared about him enough to be concerned for him, so why would they hold back? 

Sasuke wasn’t sure how many minutes he spent staring at the table below him, but it took a few seconds to register the rather large piece of baguette that was being pushed to him. Not handed to him, not shoved in his face, but softly dragged across the table top with the smallest bit of hesitation, testing the boundaries. Sasuke stared at it, refused to look up at the face of the person pushing it, but didn’t have to, he already knew who it was. 

He almost wanted to smile. He grabbed the piece instead and ate it in silence, resumed his usual routine and didn’t say a word when the blonde gave the brightest smile known to man and plopped right back down beside him. 

Freak, he thought. 

*

Things just get better and better, Sasuke thought. He had accepted a single measly piece of bread from the kid, and now he couldn’t shake the blonde off his back. Had Sasuke been an onlooker, he definitely would have bent over laughing. The blonde was easily a head taller than Sasuke, yet followed the raven around like he was a lost puppy or something. Before, Sasuke would have seethed, would have been livid. 

But it was almost as if he didn’t care enough to tell the kid off. Sure, he'd fixed him with quite a few glares and scowls, but that only seemed to spur the blonde on seeing he was getting a genuine reaction out of Sasuke. Sasuke, seeing all he got was a positively blinding grin whenever he’d shoot him a look, would wrinkle his nose and walk faster, hoping to lose the guy. 

Honestly, the whole situation was pretty bizarre to Sasuke. He couldn’t remember a time he interacted with someone this much since that night. For the first time in months he almost felt like himself again. Almost. 

He was glaring again, getting as close to scoffing as he could get without making noise, and him and this freak were making eye contact. Sasuke was looking at someone, something he didn’t do with anyone else at this hell of an orphanage. 

Shockingly, the freak didn’t follow him everywhere. He only followed him after lunch, after Sasuke ate the bread that the blonde supplied him after the assholes took his lunch and his tray, unseeing by the eyes of the elder lunchroom proctor. Although he appreciated the blonde giving him bread, he couldn’t deny the fact that he was absolutely starving now that he wasn’t eating his usual twenty pieces of baguette. 

A few days later, when his stomach absolutely couldn’t handle it anymore, when the blonde was doing his routinely passing-of-bread-across-the-table-top, Sasuke eyed him desperately. 

The blonde was clearly taken back, brows rising in shock and crystal blue eyes widening comically when the raven offered him something other than his usual murderous glare. The mouth that had subconsciously dropped open closed with a click and the blonde swallowed, flushing the tiniest bit. 

“U-uh… something the matter?” He asked, and Sasuke then realized it was the first time he heard the freak speak. Weird, he imagined a stupid high pitch squeaky voice or something a weirdo would have. The blonde’s voice was semi deep and gravelly.

When Sasuke did nothing but give him the same longing gaze, going as far as to pout his bottom lip out just barely, the blonde just gulped again. 

“Are you uh, sick of bread or something?” Sasuke raised an eyebrow at that, at the same time he thought yeah, idiot. Obviously.

The blonde took the hint and got up, going to the counter with his tray and having a talk with the server lady that was a bit too long for Sasuke’s liking. His raised brow deepened with the other when the blonde came back, the freak flushing once more and avoiding the others questioning gaze. 

“Sorry, the granny was just wondering why I started eating so much lately. I uh, told her about you and those assholes.” The boy explained, much to Sasuke’s annoyance. I can handle myself just fine, thank you. He thought bitterly. The blonde, as if reading his thoughts, shrunk back the slightest bit before shaking his head and sighing.

The blonde’s tray was set before him, and Sasuke eyed it quizzically. He certainly did not expect... all of this. 

“The lady felt bad and fixed you up with a bunch of stuff. Sheesh, these old farts are the absolute worst at security, y’know?” The blonde said just as Sasuke…

To his complete horror, Sasuke realized a moment too late that he had just snorted. And stared at the tray in horror and embarrassment, refusing to meet the freaks gaze. He flushed.

And the freak laughed. Laughed like there was no tomorrow. Laughed and coughed and laughed some more, then almost choked but kept laughing, while Sasuke head bowed ever so slightly and his cheeks darkened against his will. 

Yet, his eyes didn’t burn the way they had when he had been utterly humiliated in front of everyone. He didn’t feel the panic, or the usual mantra that would play in his head that told him to run and get out. No, this was different. This freak’s laugh was almost innocent like. Childish, but not mocking. Just purely joyful that his friend had embarrassed himself, something that never happened. And he-

Wait. 

Friend?

Sasuke did bolt at that, scrambling through tables and shoving past the doors to the outside green, leaving the blonde freak to stare after him in confusion and slight stress. 

*

The fresh air calmed him. Sasuke breathed deep mouthfuls and felt his shoulders untense.

Friend he had called him. Sasuke couldn’t really consider that blonde freak to be his friend. His only friend had been Itachi. And he didn’t really want that to change. 

Yet, he felt his heart pull and squeeze at the thought of not being able to sit next to the freak at meal time anymore. Not have him around to rid the four assholes that had been attempting and failing at catching Sasuke alone so they could torment him endlessly. It shocked the raven that the four took one look at the blonde freak, would pivot mid step and walk away from the pair. Sasuke found this information quite useful. 

Before Sasuke’s mind could travel farther with thoughts about the strange boy, he heard the double doors open behind him. Without even bothering to look back, already knowing his pursuer, he took off running, the way he’d done so many times before.

It’s not that he didn’t like the blonde or anything, in fact he was the single person in this hellhole he would call somewhat of a friend. But Sasuke wasn’t ready for that. Making friends meant talking and laughing, sharing jokes and food and whatever else friends do. Making friends meant opening up to the potential of losing them, and he wasn’t prepared for that to happen again. 

He wasn’t sure where he was headed, just that he was running away from the following footsteps. He wouldn’t- no, couldn’t handle confrontation. Usually when people would talk to him, he had no problem with not showing any indication of even hearing the person. But the blonde freak had some sort of effect on him. Sasuke couldn’t help but subconsciously react to anything the kid did. Worse yet, no matter how small of a twitch or raise of the eyebrow he had in reaction, the boy picked up on it. And he hated that. 

But as much as he hated it, he couldn’t help but be drawn to it. The blonde had been admittedly respectful towards Sasuke’s personal space for longer than any sane person would be, so he supposed it was only inevitable that the freak would assume they were close enough to communicate. And of course, Sasuke being naive and foolish as ever, the walls that he’d built around him would get knocked down by some sunshine-y, way too energetic, blonde pest. 

He’d been running for awhile, Sasuke realized, collapsing to his knees on the cold ground littered with leaves. Fall was clearly approaching. And, as it appeared, so was company. 

He really wasn’t sure why he was so hesitant to interact with the freak. It’s not as if they don’t sit next to each other on the daily and go almost everywhere together. Sasuke was just frightened. Didn’t want to lose him the way he’d lost everything before. It was so much easier to push people away rather than have them taken from him. 

Exhaustion crept up his spine as he gasped and sputtered, trying to catch his breath. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had any sort of exercise, and that at least one mile long run took a toll on his starving body. His brow dripped in a cold sweat and he trembled slightly. He heard the approaching footsteps slow down, and immediately felt his blood go cold. 

Unless the blonde truly was a freak of nature and sprouted two extra pairs of legs, Sasuke had been totally wrong as to who was chasing him this whole time. No wonder they had been so persistent. His attempts of standing up were futile, and he instead opted to pathetically crawl away to the best of his abilities. 

Of course, he hadn’t gotten very far before a gruff hand grabbed him by his hair and pulled back, dragging Sasuke across the hard ground and flipping him onto his back. His head was released but both of his arms were grabbed, holding him down, their grips bruising. Without looking up, he picked up on the fact that the quartet was incomplete, as there were only three fools surrounding him this time. 

The leader, taking advantage of his vulnerable stomach, delivered stomps and kicks that had Sasuke’s head spinning and vile arising in his throat. 

The two boys holding his arms joined in every once in a while; Usually in the form of yanking at his hair, the one on his left would grab a fistful and just steadily pull, forcing the tiniest of grunts from Sasuke’s throat. 

The leader soon became bored with his kicking, so he dropped to his knees and gave Sasuke a few punches to his gut that caused the burning sensation behind his eyelids return. But suddenly, all at once, the punches stopped. Sasuke held his breath for a few beats, then forced his eyes open.

He realized that this was the first time looking at the asshole in the eyes, seeing his face. Ugly, was the first word that popped into his head. He met the leader's eyes, and there was something in that look that made him squirm and fight to cover his body. Sasuke’s pupils trembled in fear, because it seemed making direct eye contact with this kid for the first time awakened something within the leader. 

As he and the leader stared at each other, the asshole's hand shot out towards his face and instantly his eyes snapped shut, his jaw tensed to prepare for impact. Instead of a fist, however, Sasuke jolted when all he felt was rough calloused fingers stroke along the side of his face, pushing his hair out of his eyes a bit. Sasuke swallowed. 

“Look at me,” The leader said slowly. When he was met with resistance, he growled and gripped Sasuke's throat, “I said look at me!” His grip tightened, cutting off air and Sasuke wheezed. His hold was steady, not once relieving the pressure.

A lone tear did slip past Sasuke’s eyelid as he struggled for air, face growing pink. He seized, remembering his legs were free and didn’t think twice before sending his foot straight into the assholes crotch. Sasuke coughed and sputtered once his throat was released, chest rising and falling frantically. Gulping in oxygen selfishly. Although he’d finally gotten his much needed air, he knew he was in for it, and wasn’t shocked when the leader pounced back onto him and delivered a few backhands to his face. 

Nose bleeding, tears running down his cheeks, Sasuke would admit he was terrified. 

“You think just because you had your blonde little boyfriend you’d get away from us?” The leader snapped, the other two heartily agreeing. Sasuke shivered once the leader's hand was no longer delivering harsh hits, but was once again trailing lightly along his face. “You know, you kinda look like a girl.” He said, tugging on one of his long pieces of hair that framed his face for emphasis, “You long hair,” He gave a harsh flick to the middle of his forehead and Sasuke flinched, “Your big eyes,” His fingers rested against his bitten lips that were red from abuse, but didn’t say anything about them. He applied slight pressure, but didn’t demand access to Sasuke’s relief. 

However, the raven’s struggling increased when the hand moved lower, back towards his abused throat, eyes widening and pleading for mercy. He relaxed momentarily when the hand just brushed past the quickly forming bruises, but gave a small squeak when both of the asshole's hands rested at either side of his tiny waist and squeezed.

“Hm, so you can talk. You probably sound like a girl too.” Him and his hooligans snickered, Sasuke’s face growing red once more and turning away from their predatory gazes. The leader clearly didn’t like that, his slimy fingers trailing even lower, stopping at the hem of his shirt. “I bet you have boobs under here,” Was the only warning Sasuke got before his loose polo was hiked up to his neck and his upper body was exposed. His struggle resumed, legs kicking out but the leader forced his way between them so their attempts were useless. 

Hands. Touching. Pinching. Pulling. Sasuke gasped and twitched as his body was explored. As skinny as he was, he was still young and a layer of baby fat surrounded his lithe body. At first, the leader’s hands rested just above his hips, pinching hard enough at the skin that Sasuke jumped. He kept his hold, impossibly gripping tighter just to hear the raven emit more pathetic pleading sounds. The leader smirked, dragging his hands higher, leaving Sasuke’s skin pink and agitated at the pressure. 

Finally, the leader stopped just above his ribcage. Much to Sasuke’s humiliation, his soft chest was cupped, lightly squeezed and pulled at. The pressure soon increased. He whined pathetically, neck, face and chest growing redder and the abuse continued. The leader was seemingly mesmerized as he kneaded at the flesh, his buddy on the left joining in and gripping his left nipple to give it a harsh tug. Sasuke cried out at that, the leader’s eyes growing ever hungrier at the sound, their ministrations growing intenser. The one on the right was quiet.

As it was, the leader was almost on top of the small boy, hips inching closer to Sasuke’s own. The older boy grew too hasty, as he stumbled a bit in the middle of his tormentation and his lower body came into contact with the smaller one below him. 

Something hot and hard had brushed against the space between Sasuke’s legs, and it only took a split second before his eyes widened in realization.

What the fuck!

With renewed vigor, he pulled and tugged at his restraints, the other two had obviously been distracted by the show and Sasuke slipped out easily, pushing past and causing the leader to fall on his face.  
He almost escaped too, if it hadn’t been for his exhaustion and raging fear that made his legs practically jelly. He got in maybe two steps before a rough hand latched onto his ankle and pulled, making his fall onto his face and land on his sore stomach and face. He grunted in pain. 

He was dragged back, the two fools holding his arms down once more the the leader resuming his place between the frantic boy’s legs. 

“H-hey, what are you doing?” The one on his right stuttered, hold faltering for a second. 

“I want to see whether this kid is actually a girl, I bet he’s bare down here.”

“Yeah but maybe we should-”

“Shut up,” the leader hissed, aiming a murderous glance to his friend, fingers teasing at the waistline of Sasuke’s shorts. The said boy squirmed, moved, shook, did anything he could to get the hands off. All that earned him was a harsh slap to the ass, the boy jolting at the impact, before his shorts and boxers were ripped off, leaving his lower half naked. 

Hands were on his ass, kneading and rubbing, giving the occasional squeeze or slap. He’d whimper at that, the leader laughing in response. Sasuke didn’t make another noise.

To his horror, his member was grabbed and he cried, wanting to say No! Stop! Don’t Touch me! But all that came out was a wheeze. His legs were spread apart by the leader's thick waist, and he was exposed. 

The older boy’s hands settled back on his hips, pulling them up so his chest was in contact with the ground and his ass was in the air. His hands found his cheeks and spread, much to the displeasure of the whining boy. 

Minutes went by, the leader staring then resuming groping, then staring once more. This process repeated a few times as Sasuke shook like a leaf. 

At the sound of a zipper, the raven paled. His eyes widened a fraction then he squeezed them shut, praying that this wasn’t happening. The boy on right questioned in panic, while the one on the left leaned over to get a better view of what was happening. The leader ignored them both. 

Then there was pain. Burning hot excruciating pain. As if he was being pierced by a scorching metal rod, being teased in and out of him. And in one thrust, the sensation increased tenfold. The leader behind him sighed in satisfaction.

He heard something rip, felt something inside of him tear, and suddenly his nostrils were filled with the sour scent of blood. 

He didn’t have time to think before bile was rushing up his throat and he was spilling his stomach’s contents along the ground around him. 

The boy on the right let out a “Ugh!” And Sasuke barely registered that he had released the grip on his arm and ran away. The one on the left just squeezed harder. The leader’s grunts of pleasure, and the rhythmic sounds of skin slapping on skin was all that could be heard. That, and one other noise Sasuke couldn’t quite place.

It was a shrill scratchy sound, probably from disuse. Sometimes it sounded out in time with the leaders' thrusts, other times it was long and drawn out. And it was loud. Sasuke realized his throat was sore and hurt, and then he realized that he was screaming. 

He was wailing everytime that rod pierced him, everytime it pulled out and dragged blood from his body. He screeched when it was thrust back in, then back out. An endless cycle of pain. His sounds only excited the leader more, his pace increasing along with Sasuke’s screams. 

He must’ve been really loud, because the next thing Sasuke knew, the leader was grabbing his hair and pushing his face into the ground, making his nose bleed again. He no longer struggled, long since gave up as his body was licked and bitten with heat. He went limp in the two boys’ grasps, body moving back and forth in time with the thrusts.

After what seemed like an eternity, but was actually only a few minutes, his abuser gasped and fully sheathed the rod within the shivering boy. His grip on Sasuke’s hips tightened notably, and then his body was filled with scorching liquid that reminded him of the soup he used to eat in the cafeteria.

He gave one last gasp as his spent body was finally exited, his lower body collapsing against the earth. The boy to his left moved to go behind him, but the leader hissed his disapproval, saying something about the elders looking for them. The two ran in the direction of the building, leaving Sasuke to lay in a puddle of body fluids. 

Eventually, exhaustion overtook him, and he drifted into a blissfully ignorant state of unconsciousness. 

*

Naruto was panicking. The black-haired kid hadn’t come back after his freak out, and it was getting late. Naruto searched the outside area, every place he’d recalled the raven going whenever they’d have one of their ‘hangouts’, every tree, every bench.

He paced back and forth across the green, hearing the winds blow through the trees, the shaking of leaves, birds chirping, footsteps-

Wait. 

Footsteps! 

He looked in the direction they were coming from, hope sparking in his chest but his mood instantly dropped when he saw one of the assholes he’d seen pick on Sasuke before. Did none of them have anything better to do?

“Hey! You!” Naruto called running to the kid. The boy looked as if he’d seen a ghost, face pale and skin sticky with sweat. Naruto’s chest clenched in anxiety. “Where were you?”

The kid opened his mouth to respond, eyes wide with fear and pupils darting around frantically, as if trying to process an answer. He couldn’t seem to speak, and instead shook his head before relieving himself within his pants, in public. Naruto stepped back, looking in disgust as the boy pissed himself. The elders saw and immediately escorted the kid inside, scolding him about proper hygiene on the way.

Okay, now he was really worried. 

He ran into the woods, doing his best to enter approximately where the scared kid had walked out and went straight, hoping to run into something or someone. 

It didn’t take long to come across what he was looking for. Maybe a little over a mile in, his nostrils caught the scent of something. It was putrid, making his nose wrinkle and face contort in disgust. It was faint, but as he ran further into the trees, the smell grew stronger until he saw a lone figure a few feet before him. 

He slowed his pace into a walk, trying to identify what on earth he was looking at, until his eyes widened and he felt dizzy with realization. There, on the ground, was the raven that he had sat beside everyday for the past few months. There, in a bloody, beaten heap, was his only friend.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo woo woo! Chapter two is finally here! 
> 
> This definitely took longer than I wanted, but schools been kicking my ass y'all.
> 
> This fic will have one more chapter, then will have a second fic. I'm super excited for it, its gonna be great (I hope!)
> 
> Thanks to everyone who has left a comment and a kudos thus far, y'all make my day.
> 
> ENJOY!

Sasuke wasn’t sure where he was. Whatever surface he was on top of was soft, most likely a blanket. He opened his eyes slowly.

A groan escaped him at the bright light that shone into his eyes. A slight crust framed the lids and it felt as if they were being weighed down with how Sasuke was struggling to keep them open. A few seconds passed and Sasuke adapted to the light and took in his surroundings. He dug his nails into his palms in order to keep alert and keep his eyes from closing again.

It seemed that waking up in his bed after a traumatic experience would become a usual occurrence for him, because that's exactly what was happening to him for a second time. The same room, the same small beds lined up along the wall, the same duffel bag from his old room. He would have laughed if he hadn’t felt like complete utter shit.

He heard approaching footsteps, and in turn his heart to pick up in pace from anticipation at who it could possibly be. 

  
He relaxed a bit when he saw the familiar stockings and apron that was only sported by the elder proctors. He couldn’t see past her lower waist; anytime he tried to look farther up it gave him a migraine. 

“Sasuke,” She murmured, noting the slight jump the boy made in response to his name. She stepped closer. “Sasuke, dear,” She repeated, slowly padding towards him. He noted she was holding a tray in her hands. “Would you mind sitting up?” 

Sasuke swallowed, taking note that his throat that was sore from the screaming he had done before he’d gone unconscious. He had shifted his legs only slightly before the sharpest, stinging pain he had ever experienced in his life shot up his spine and he let out a cry. The older woman, clearly distressed at the outburst, put the tray on the bed adjacent to Sasuke’s and ran out of the room, leaving the boy to whimper and shake against the duvet. 

A few minutes passed, the pain dulling barely as his thighs spasmed. He didn’t register that someone else had entered the room until they were standing right in front of him. 

“Damnit, I thought I told them to give you your painkillers before having you move.” The person turned around, back to his face, putting what was probably a medical kit on the bed beside the forgotten tray of food. The woman sifted around for a bit, grumbling to herself about the lack of experienced medical experts within the facility. She turned to face him, holding two pills and the glass of water that had been on the tray. “Here, take this and see how you feel afterwards, kid.” 

The tablet was practically shoved down his throat, and the water made his sputter when he couldn’t swallow fast enough due to the pain that came with the action. The woman nodded, her back facing Sasuke once more as she wrote something down in a notebook. 

As the drug slowly took effect, Sasuke felt his shivers dull to small twitches every one in awhile. He felt drowsy, and it was even harder to stay awake than before. Sasuke realized he didn’t quite mind the feeling. 

Seeing as his migraine wasn’t as bad as before, he studied the woman in front of him with a slight squint in his eyes.

Her hair was bleach blonde, borderline white due to age. She was tall and looked like there was quite a bit of muscle beneath her medical coat. When she faced him once more, Sasuke’s eyes almost bugged out of his head. She was  _ busty.  _ Large breasts sat on her chest, almost too large for her medical coat and Sasuke could only imagine what sort of back pain she faced on the daily. She must’ve caught him staring, because once he met her hazel eyes they were set in a tight glare. Her brows were furrowed and her nose scrunched. Heat rose to his face at being caught.

“Well kid, I gotta give it to you. You sure did give me quite a few problems. You’re lucky Naruto found you when he did, we almost lost you.” The woman said. Sasuke didn’t say anything in response, mind stuck on the name the woman mentioned.  _ Naruto? Who was that? The blonde freak?  _ At his look of confusion, the woman answered his unasked question. “The blonde boy who you’re always with. You’re with him practically every second of the day and you don’t even know his name?” She sneered as Sasuke ignored her.

He tested the name on his tongue, repeating it a few times to see what it felt like to say.  _ Yeah, his blonde was definitely a Naruto.  _

Sasuke stared back up at the woman who, to his surprise, was giving him a look of sympathy. Clearly, this woman was some sort of head doctor, and she definitely knew what sort of ‘predicament’ Sasuke had gotten himself into. Her eyes shone slightly with tears. 

“I’m Dr. Tsunade, by the way. I’m the orphanage nurse,” She spat the word out with a grimace, “And was in charge of patching you up and prescribing your meds.” Sasuke blinked. “I also wanted to talk to you about... what happened.”

Sasuke looked down at that, a sequence of memories flashing through his mind like some twisted slideshow.  _ That really happened.  _

Sasuke felt a lot of things, which was definitely new to him. He was so used to feeling nothing all the time, he didn’t know how to handle these new emotions. For the most part, he felt sick. Nauseous. His stomach churned and his chest clenched as yesterday's- had that even happened yesterday? He wasn’t sure how long he’d been unconscious- events replayed in his mind. He was also in pain. Not the pain he had felt when he’d moved his legs, just a constant stinging pain that was annoying enough to be impossible to ignore. The most unnerving emotion he felt however, was disgust. Disgust towards himself, and his body. How weak he had been against those boys, the way they’d so easily dominated him, held him down, tortured him. He winced, teeth grinding against each other as he squeezed his eyes shut. He felt dirty, felt like he desperately needed to shower. He wanted to scrub and scrub, and wash away the marks and the fingerprints that littered his body, then repeat the whole process over again. Sasuke wanted to scrub and scratch at his skin until it was red and irritated, then rub some more until it broke so his body would no longer have any trace of those scums’ touches. He let out a shaky exhale. 

Fingers lightly touches his forehead, jolting Sasuke from his thoughts. He hadn’t realized he had been shaking and probably breathing erratically until he had gotten his breathlessness under control. Tsunade’s gaze was downcast, looking at the boy with pity, the unshed tears still present behind her lids. Sasuke frowned. He didn’t need anyone’s pity. 

But he couldn’t deny that the gentle fingers against his head were calming, grounding. A lifeline that kept him attached to reality. He craved touch and company, but shied away from it all at the same time.

Tsunade sighed, removing her hand just as Sasuke whined in protest. She offered a solemn smile, which dropped the same time she did on the bed next to the one Sasuke occupied. 

“Three days you’ve been out.” The woman said softly, tracing the cup of water she had forced down Sasuke’s throat earlier. “You tore, down there I mean. It wasn’t too severe, and it’ll heal on its own, but for a child of your size…”

“Not to mention, you’re severely underweight and malnourished. I asked around, about your eating habits, and kid, bread isn’t going to cut it. I am going to put you on a strict meal plan, with the goal of gaining at least a pound every week. If you don’t follow this, well... we’ll have some problems.” Shec eyed him with a small quirk at the sides of her lips as she cracked her knuckles on emphasis. Sasuke stayed expressionless. “This is serious Sasuke. Your health is currently my biggest priority.” 

_ Why,  _ Sasuke wanted badly to ask.  _ Why even bother with me. _ To his credit, he actually tried to speak up, but his throat constricted in protest. Luckily, Tsunade was a smart woman and picked up on his reaction.    
  
“Naruto, that uh, that bratty blonde,” She sniffed, “He brought you here and you were unconscious and he was crying, freaking out and freaking the women and children out, and usually I would’ve chewed his ear off and lectured him on why public displays of hysteria are considered inappropriate, but I figured it wasn’t a good time.”

“This Naruto kid, he’s-” A pause, “He’s been here since he was a baby. I mean a week after he’d been born he was sent here, hasn’t known anything else besides the orphanage. And he tried  _ so _ hard to make friends, but I guess it just never works out. I mean, all the kids are pretty much scared of him since he started getting into fights from age 7. Real fist fights I mean, and man-”

  
  


Sasuke listened intently as the woman went on about the few times she’d had to pull kids off of the older boy, still avoiding her gaze. He shouldn’t be surprised by the blonde’s-  _ Naruto’s  _ reputation. He had seen the way that a few people side eyed him and were a little too wary of the boy. At the same time, however, Sasuke found it almost hard to believe the boy was even capable of being in any way violent. Naruto had always been nothing but kind and helpful and respectful. Ever since he’d gotten here Sasuke hadn’t seen even a hint of physical aggression from the blonde. 

Tsunade, knowing she wouldn’t get any sort of response from the raven, sighed and continued filling out the paperwork littered beside her on the bed. She knew the boy was most likely exhausted, even if he’d been unconscious for a few days. He’d had to deal with more shit than Tsunade thought possible for a kid his age. Finishing up with the sheet she had been working on, Tsunade put his glass of water in his hand and placed the tray of food on the night stand next to him and went to leave. 

  
“I will send him in,” Were her final words, before promptly leaving the room. Sasuke sat in silence, eyes feeling beyond the feeling of heaviness, but forced himself awake nevertheless. He wanted- no,  _ needed  _ to see Naruto. There was so much he wanted to express to the blonde, one thing being gratitude. He’d saved his life, afterall.

He realized then that he was alone, meaning he was vulnerable. Could barely move without unbearable waves of pain spiking up his spine. Running was out of the question if a certain group of kids decided to pay him a visit. Sasuke began to sweat, trembling unconsciously with much protest from his spine. He shivered and swallowed, bringing his shaking hands up to run through damp hair, which reminded him that he badly needed a shower. He jumped when he heard a door open, and his trembling only got worse at the sound of footsteps.  _ Footsteps,  _ like what he had heard in the woods, following him, stalking him. He whined lowly and almost forced his body out of the bed when a figure came into view,

But relaxed at the sight of unruly striking blonde hair. His eyes closed in relief and he released a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. He was going to be okay. 

*

Admittedly, Naruto wasn’t sure what he had expected to see, but it certainly wasn’t  _ this.  _ Sasuke looked weak and impossibly thinner. His eyes had dark bags under his eyes and his face was paler than usual. His skin shone with a light layer of sweat, and he was shaking slightly. If he listened hard enough, Naruto thought he could make out the faint sound of teeth chattering. Naruto frowned, taking in his friend's form. Undoubtedly it was an improvement from the last time he saw Sasuke. The boy hadn’t even been conscious then. But this wasn’t much better, if anything it was worse. Being aware meant Sasuke could remember what had happened to him that day. Clearly he did, if Sasuke’s grim expression was anything to go by. 

Naruto’s heart clenched when his eyes met Sasuke’s. Black emotionless eyes met shining bright blue ones. It looked as if his friend was half asleep. Naruto continued his way over, slowing once he got closer until stopping when he got to Sasuke’s side of the bed.    
  
The two stared at each other for a while, until Naruto broke the silence. 

“Hi.” He said quietly. 

  
“Hi.” Was his horse response, and  _ god  _ Naruto was almost brought to tears when Sasuke finally talked to him. 

“Granny Tsunade said I should come see you. Said you were doing better.” Naruto said.

“Yeah.” 

They didn’t say much, didn’t really need to actually. Their glances and looks were more than enough communication for the two of them, but today was an exception, for at this moment, words felt necessary to understand what the other was thinking.    
  
“Are you? Doing better, I mean?” Naruto asked, eyes darting down and back up Sasuke’s body. He paused at his wrists, the only other skin that was visible besides his face, the rest under the covers. Sasuke suddenly felt self conscious and shrunk in on himself. There were still dark bruises littered along his body, and the ones on his forearms were the most prominent. His black eye and swollen cheek were second to that. The raven moved his wrists under the covers. Naruto caught his slip up immediately. “Sorry,” he murmured as he looked away.

Sasuke didn’t say anything else, turned away from the blonde actually. And for a moment, Naruto feared that he’d be sent away. But Sasuke didn’t make any indication that he  _ didn’t  _ want Naruto there, they sort of just sat in each other’s presence for a while.

  
Naruto was getting ready to just give up and leave when Sasuke scooted the slightest bit over. He let out a small hiss of pain from the action, but continued scooching over nonetheless, until there was just enough space for someone else to sit in the bed. Naruto flustered, telling Sasuke to stop moving because he was hurting himself, until glassy onyx eyes locked with bright ocean blue ones and his mouth clicked shut. 

He paused, staring into the orbs for more time than was needed, but understood in an instant. The blonde slid in beside the other boy, careful not to touch, which was more difficult than it sounded considering a third of his body wasn’t even on the bed. It was extremely uncomfortable, but being close to Sasuke was more important than his own feelings at the moment. 

Sasuke initiated contact first, body moving to tuck his head beneath Naruto’s chin, and body snuggling the tiniest bit closer to the other. He was  _ cold, Naruto _ noted. Very cold. Naruto knew he was warm, had been called a living fireplace by a few of the staff at the orphanage, so instinctively, he wrapped his arms around the other.

*

  
He was  _ warm.  _ Sasuke thought. Naruto’s body was warm and perfect, and he couldn’t seem to get close enough to the heat source. His face was practically buried in the other’s chest and his body was practically plastered to Naruto’s, but at the moment he didn’t care. He exhaled, eyes closing and shoulders relaxing for the first time in what felt like forever. 

And when Naruto wrapped his arms around his shoulders, he didn’t even blush. Didn’t feel flustered in the slightest, just felt content. He owed so, so much to the boy and this was just the cherry on top. They laid in each others embrace for a while, breathing becoming synced. Sasuke could hear Naruto’s heartbeat, felt his eyes slip shut with every bump he heard and fell into unconsciousness.

_ “Thank you Naruto,”  _ were his last words before slipping into a dreamless sleep.

*

Despite it being against the usual protocol, the staff hadn’t said a word about how the two boys had slept in the same bed together. There was nothing scandalous about it, no funny play of any sort, just a hurt boy seeking comfort and a friend more than willing to give it to him. The women were more than aware of this, which is most likely why they hadn’t made a fuss about it. 

Something had changed between Sasuke and Naruto. Perhaps it was the fact that they knew each other's names, or it could have been how one had saved the other, or possibly that they’d shared the same bed the night before. Regardless, things had changed seemingly in a single night, and now the two found it impossible to to stay away from each other. 

It was little things. Brushing of hands, bumping of shoulders, one leg leaning against the other a little too obviously. Like small reassurances, reminders that the two had each other. Neither seemed to mind.    
  


They sat together a little ways away from the green where everyone liked to play. Sasuke to the right, Naruto to the left, they sat cross legged with their respective hands intertwined. They watched as the bees pollinated random wild flowers and the bird flapped above. When the wind would blow, it made Naruto’s already mused hair grow further wild, and Sasuke let out a tiny giggle that had the blonde beaming. It had been small, but for Sasuke it was monumental. 

“I’m sorry about what happened to you,” Naruto said suddenly. Sasuke frowned and gave a shrug.

“It’s okay.” He murmured. Naruto was quiet, mulling over the response when he felt a slight anger overtake him. 

“But… but that’s just it, Sasuke. It’s  _ not.  _ It’s not okay at all. Fuck, I… I should’ve  _ been there.  _ I should’ve followed you, I’m so  _ stupid _ for not following you out there!” His right hand grabbed the top of his head and tugged, “I knew these kids were roughing you up but I never… I just…” Naruto huffed. He was genuinely angry, at those kids or himself, neither of them were sure. Sasuke squeezed Naruto’s hand in response, avoiding the other's gaze. “I’m just sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Sasuke mumbled.

“Sasuke-”   
  


“It’s  _ okay.” _ He reiterated, still refusing to meet the other’s gaze. He really,  _ really  _ didn’t want to talk about this. His mind and body were spent, still too tired to truly process what hell he had gone through days before. There would be time to mull about it later. 

The two sat for an ungodly amount of time, just enjoying each other’s presence. They shared some more small talk, but nothing important. Being together was all what really mattered to the two of them anyway. 

*   
  


_ There's no way I’m gonna be able to sleep tonight,  _ Sasuke thought, grimacing in the dark. He’d been tossing and turning for hours now, but his body was jittery with anxiety. There was no particular reason for it, other than the fact that he was alone and being alone meant he was vulnerable. At a particularly harsh jolt, he sat up, wincing at the not as painful but still hard to tolerate pain that shot up his spine.

Looking around, Sasuke saw everyone was asleep. 

_ Perfect. _

He stood, feet against the cold hardwood floor. They wobbled slightly, the stinging ever present, but recovered. Sasuke limped towards the door, weaving around the beds and bags that lined the floor. 

The orphanage had a total of five sleep areas. Two for boys, two for girls, one for the workers. The boys’ space took up one side of a hall, the girls the other, and the elders’ room was at the end. Inconveniently, Naruto was in the other room. Sasuke headed straight there. 

His bunk wasn’t much different from Sasuke’s, albeit a bit more cramped. The older boys slept here, Sasuke noted, seeing more stuff strewn across the ground and feet that were a bit too close to the edge belonging to boys that didn’t quite fit in their beds anymore. It was dark, close to pitch black in fact, and Sasuke strained his eyes to see. It took a split second before Sasuke spotted the mop of blonde not too far from the doorway. He made his way over faster than he’d like to admit.

He stopped at the side of the bed, suddenly hesitant. Sure, they’d spent the night sleeping in a bed together before but that was different, right? 

Was it really, though? Sasuke had been the one to initiate it, scooting over and signaling for Naruto to get in with him, so what's the harm in doing it again? Unless of course, it was a one time thing? Perhaps Sasuke overestimated how close they were to each other, maybe Naruto had only slipped in beside him out of pity. No, he couldn’t do this. What an idiotic idea this had been. Sasuke cringed, head hanging and cheeks flushing in embarrassment towards no one. How dumb he had been. What, was he some sort of baby that he needed to be cradled to sleep? What was wrong with-

“S’uke?” Sasuke jumped at being interrupted from his internal hate for himself. Even in the darkness, Sasuke could make out the blue eyes with ease. They were tired, not as bright as they usually were, but still striking as ever. He froze at being caught. He looked away and turned to walk back to his bunk when his wrist was grabbed- gently- and was pulled, butt softly dropping on the mattress. “Hey, c’mere.” 

The blonde sat up, and positioned himself so Sasuke’s back was flush against Naruto’s warm body. Immediately, the raven relaxed. Arms wrapped around his smaller frame and he was pulled down against the pillow. His limbs turned to putty in the embrace and he sighed in content. Sasuke’s face pressed against Naruto’s chest and he inhaled deeply, taking in the blonde’s scent. 

It didn’t take long to fall asleep, both boys’ breathing in sync and hearts beating as one. 

*

It became a part of their daily routine. The boys would wake up, Sasuke first, Naruto not far behind. They’d sit in silence for a few moments, listening to each other’s heartbeats, then they’d leave the bunks before any of the other kids could catch them and snitch to one of the staff. 

Sasuke learned that waking up early meant being able to watch the sunrise with Naruto. They’d go to the open field they’d sit in during the day, and sit in a spot where the trees didn’t block the sky and the grass wasn’t too itchy. They would sit, cross legged, Sasuke on the right, Naruto on the left, hand in respective hand. Sasuke, already prone to getting cold easily, would shiver in the early morning frost. Fall was obviously approaching, and neither boy really appreciated that fact. Sometimes, Naruto would take off his sweatshirt he always wore and draped it across the boys back. Other times, times Sasuke relished, it would be Naruto’s arm draped along his shoulders instead. 

Sasuke, still sleepy, rested his head against Naruto’s shoulder. The blonde attempted to wrap his arm around the raven, but said boy’s hand wouldn’t budge from its hold on the other. The sun rose and, despite how beautiful it was, all the two could look at were each other. They’d steal glances, and would quickly turn away at being caught. It was silly, really. How they tried to hide how obsessed they were with one another and failed so awfully. 

“What were your parents like?” Sasuke asked one morning, Cicadas could be heard chirping in the background. 

Naruto looked up for a moment, as if deep in thought. His thumb and index finger rubbed at his chin, “I’m not sure.” He responded.

Sasuke looked at him pointedly, silently requesting for the other to elaborate. 

“They died the day I was born. Both of them. Uh, my mom during childbirth and my dad from a car crash when he was on his way to the hospital.” Naruto murmured, eyes downcast. Sasuke’s hand squeezed the other’s, immediately he got a squeeze back. “I’ve always sort of wondered what they were like, y’know? I- uh, here.” Naruto paused, right hand unzipping and digging through the chest pocket on his jacket. A small, folded piece of paper emerged.

Unfolded, it revealed a photo of what looked like a party. A man with long white hair was on the left, weilding a beer in both hands and talking animatedly to a familiar looking woman with blonde hair and a large chest. Sasuke pointed at the woman.

“Hm? Oh! Yeah, that’s granny Tsunade. She took care of you here, remember? She’s pretty cool for an old hag.” Sasuke gave Naruto a withering look.

Ignoring the blonde’s idiotic comment, Sasuke’s eyes moved to the rest of the picture. He held his gaze on a man who looked an unnerving amount like Naruto. His hair was shaggier, eyes not quite as bright but softer, staring longingly at a woman who had the reddest hair he’d ever seen. She was laughing at something out of frame, not even looking at the other man. They seemed so happy and Sasuke felt his heart pull. 

“You have your dad's hair.” Sasuke whispered, “And your moms face.” Naruto nodded, scooting closer to Sasuke to get a better look at the photo. Their sides leaned up against each other. Sasuke felt his face heat and blamed it on Naruto’s closeness and breath on his face.

“Yeah. That’s what granny told me. She said they were obsessed with each other since, like, middle school.” Naruto let out a chuckle, “They fought a lot when they were younger before they realized how crazy they were for the other.” 

Sasuke hummed, focused on the way his father was looking at his mother. Focused on the unfiltered love that was held within that gaze. His chest pulled once again and his face unconsciously snuggled closer against Naruto’s body. 

He didn’t recognize the burning behind his eyes until tears were falling down his face. Naruto replaced his left hand with his right and used the other to pull Sasuke closer. Everything came rushing back at once, and felt the emotions he’d suppressed for too long come back up again. His eyes never left the photo, but his mind what somewhere else entirely. 

His parents, his brother, their deaths. The feelings of loneliness,  _ the loneliness,  _ the isolation, both physically and mentally. The way he had lived as if on autopilot, not even processing what was happening around him. Those boys, those  _ assholes  _ who took advantage of him, who made everything so much worse. He choked on a sob, eyes squeezing out more tears as his body wracked with shiver. 

_ “Sorry,” _ He muttered between gasps, “ _ sorry, sorry, sorry,”  _ He repeated, Naruto knowing Sasuke wasn’t apologizing to him. He just held the shaking boy tighter, pulling the raven’s head beneath his chin and holding him. His left thumb rubbed circles against Sasuke’s hand, squeezing it every once in a while as the wetness on his shoulder grew. He didn’t say anything, not that either of them needed to. 

*

“My parents were murdered.” Sasuke said one night, while they were laying beside each other in the bed. Naruto shifted, waiting for Sasuke to continue. “They, uh,” Sasuke sniffed, “ They ran a business. A really lucrative one. They were powerful and I guess tipped someone equally as powerful off and…” He trailed off, Naruto held him tighter. 

“They owed them money. They kept asking them for it, I- I remember. They went through the house and screamed for it while my brother and I hid in the bathroom cabinet. He-  _ fuck,” _ Sasuke didn’t think he’d get emotional again, thought his breakdown earlier that day had been enough, but clearly he was wrong once he felt a hiccup rise in his throat and the burning behind his eyelids returned in an instant. “He saved my life, Naruto. He told me to run and I… I just  _ left _ . I left him for  _ dead.”  _ Sasuke buried his face into the other’s chest to muffle his whines, knowing he was on the brink of being too loud. Naruto held him closer. “ _ It’s all my fault.” _

“Don’t do that to yourself, Sasuke. It’s not your fault, not even in the slightest. If you’d have stayed, you would have been killed.” Naruto whispered. “Please, don’t blame yourself.”

Sasuke let out a shaky huff, shaking his head, in disagreement with himself or Naruto, neither were sure. 

“I mean it, Sas. You ran, and you survived. You’re here, and that’s all that matters.”

Sasuke didn’t respond, instead he opted to squeeze the other a bit tighter to indicate he’d heard the other. He enjoyed the soft bumps of the other’s heart, and he felt his eyes close as the beats filled his ears.   
  


*   
  


Things were better after that. After sharing what had happened to his family, it was almost as if the insistent weight that had always lingered on his chest had been lifted and he could breathe again. Sasuke was as close to free from the guilt and the burden he had carried since that night as he’d get, and it was all thanks to Naruto.

Weeks passed, and all Sasuke knew was happiness. 

“I used to get in a lot of fights, y’know.” Naruto said as they sat against the trunk on a tree. Sasuke hummed in acknowledgement, remembering Dr. Tsunade mentioned something similar. “I’d, heh, I’d start throwing punches at any kid who even looked at me wrong. I was a pretty big asshole, y’know.” Naruto sighed, “Apparently, according to granny, it was ‘cause I wanted attention or something. Like, since I had no parents, I was looking for someone to scold me in place of them. Obviously I don’t do that anymore.”   
  


“What made you change?” Sasuke couldn’t help but ask.

“You.” Naruto responded quietly, shoulder bumping against Sasukes. 

  
Said boy didn’t respond, but could resist the small smile that tugged at the sides of his mouth.

*

Sasuke knew something was off when Naruto had been the one to wake up first. He had opened his eyes and was met with the cold feeling of an empty bed. His eyes cracked open, and he groaned quietly as he sat up. Naruto sat at the edge of the bed, seemingly staring off into space. 

“Naruto?” He croaked, and the other jumped slightly. He turned, and offered one of his signature smiles that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Hey Sas,” He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, “I, uh, I sorta broke our routine, huh?” Sasuke was hesitant but let out a soft laugh that was more like an exhale and swung his feet over the edge to sit next to the blonde on his left. Said boy gripped the other’s hand and squeezed a bit too tightly. 

They sat in silence for a little while longer than they usually would, Sasuke waiting for this unspoken thing that was between them to come out. 

“Sasuke I… “Naruto turned away, unable to get the words out. “You… you know that I care about you?” 

And suddenly, Sasuke’s world got impossibly brighter. His eyes widened, and whatever tension he’d felt before was wiped away in an instant. 

Sasuke gulped, breathless, and nodded. He knew his face was red

He looked away and laughed, because  _ god.  _ Naruto was so  _ stupid  _ but amazingly so. He was so  _ perfect. _

Sasuke didn’t know it, but there were eyes staring at the back of his head, but instead of a look of longing, it was a look of sadness. 

*

Two days. Sasuke got two days of utter bliss. As usual, neither boy left the other’s side. Hands squeezed a bit tighter, shoulders bumped a bit more frequently and gazes were held a bit longer. 

Sasuke laughed more than he ever had in his life, felt so full of emotion he couldn’t help but let it escape him. He hummed unnamed tunes, played with his food less and couldn’t seem to stop talking. 

Even now, and they walked along the line of trees that framed the forest, he felt the bubbly feeling resurface at every glance he stole at Naruto. Never in his life had he thought he’d be so infatuated with someone like this. Not even Itachi held his attention like this, no this was... This was  _ love,  _ Sasuke realized. He was in love with the boy whose hair was blinding, and smile even moreso. He was in love with-

  
“Naruto,” Sasuke began. The blonde stopped and turned towards the other, brows raised in question. “Naruto, I- I have to tell you something.” 

  
Naruto was quiet at first, looking to the side for a moment, then nodded. 

“Y-yeah, I do too actually.” 

Sasuke brightened, perhaps Naruto would tell him he felt the same way? Perhaps they could discuss where to go from there, as Sasuke wasn’t too keen on what people who loved each other did.

“Okay,” Sasuke said breathlessly, nodding, “You go first.”

Naruto was quiet once more, which was so unlike the blonde. Sasuke’s anticipation only grew. The former sighed, finally meeting Sasuke’s eyes. He was nervous, the raven could tell. Sweat lined his forehead. 

_ This was it.  _ Sasuke thought. Naruto would confess his love and Sasuke would do the same, and they’d do whatever sort of thing came next. He was inexperienced when it came to relationships, but hell, he was inexperienced in most things and he’d turned out okay. 

He felt as if he was soaring, floating on a cloud. As he flew higher, so did his hope that this could work, him and Naruto. They’d finally be together in a way that would last forever, would take their relationship to the next level. The cloud raised even higher-

“I’m getting adopted.” 

And all at once, everything came crashing down.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> REMINDER: I certainly don't know what real orphanages r like, so don't use this work as reference ^^ thanks for reading!


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